Saturday, October 3, 2009

Field Trip - Pioneer Fest, Day Two

There's more to do at the Pioneer Festival. Let's get going!

This camp has a candelabra for serving a homecooked dinner by candlelight.



Throughout the festival grounds there were opportunities to try activities such as throwing a tomahawk, tossing an atalatal or using a crosscut saw.



There are interesting vignettes set up throughout the grounds.



Aren't you getting hungry? There's plenty of food. No corn dogs or fried twinkies at this fair. There are sample of homemade apple butter. Here a young volunteer is stirring the batch in a large copper lined pot.



There's homemade pie but I forgot to get a photo of that. This young girl is tending the buffalo stew.



It's delicious!

We're going to make our way over to the Pottawatomie Indian Garden area where my sister is working. There she is.



She's got a pot of vegetable stew cooking over the open fire.



Here's her lean-to shelter. Don't mind the bright colored strips of fabric. That's so that people won't trip over the ropes.



This is her beautiful display of handmade tools and garden crops. The beautiful hollowed out gourds are used as dippers and food containers.



This is a sacred circle.



Here's a traditional wigwam, constructed of pliable branches. Traditionally it would have been covered with hides. Here they've used a large fabric tarp. This is a roomy structure, certainly tall enough for a man to stand inside.



Let's go inside the wigwam. You can see how cozy it feels. The fire pit is in the center and there's a hole in the roof where the smoke is drawn up and out.



I hope you've enjoyed our field trip to the Autumn Pioneer Festival. There are a few more coming up in the next month, possibly some Voyageurs and an Indian Pow Wow. Would you be interested seeing those events?

PIONEER FESTIVAL GIVEAWAY - The organizers of the Boone County Conservation District's Pioneer Festival have given me a copy of their Cultural Heritage Gardens Cookbook for a giveaway. It includes traditional recipes based on the five heritage gardens: Native American, Yankee, Scottish, Norwegian and German. Please leave a comment and I'll enter your name into the drawing. The winner will be announced at our Monday Morning Staff Meeting.




24 comments:

Kitty said...

I've enjoyed the trip to the Pioneer Fest. Looks like you had a beautiful day to walk around and enjoy the displays. I once made apple butter in a large copper kettle over an open fire--in the 1970's when my husband and I were first married and living on an organic farm in Illinois. Brings back memories...

StitchinByTheLake said...

I've often wondered Suzanne - because they had to leave a hole in the roof for the smoke how in the world did they stay warm? I'm sure they were used to being colder than my centrally heated home! blessings, marlene

Becky said...

I loved this trip Suzanne! Thanks so much for letting us enjoy it with you!
I have an apple butter kettle sitting in the basement....but it doesn't have a copper lining....thinking of using it for a flower bed in the yard. Of course I have been thinking that for about 15 years. :)

chocolatechic said...

I heart this kind of thing.

I love history, and seeing people reenact history always gives me chill bumps.

Leslie T. said...

What a GREAT field trip! Thanks for taking me along!

Jody Blue said...

Your Sister has put ALOT of work into her tools. What a really fun way to spend a Saturday morning, thanks.

Anonymous said...

looks like too much fun... thanx for the great photogs... really captures the spirit

One Gray Hair At A Time said...

Thanks for taking us on your field trips. I never seem to go anywhere interesting so I guess I'm living vicariously through you. Looking forward to "our" next trip.

ingasmile said...

I love Field Trips and you do such a good job as a guide! I love the food at this festival better than the "traditional" corn dogs, and funnel cakes, teehee.

Inga

Kat said...

Conservation Districts do great things. I'm impressed by their ability to tailor their programs to each area's soils, history, and economics. I wish our local CD had something like this!

Maya Sara Matthew said...

The gourds used as dippers and containers are beautiful. Did your sister make them?
Please enter me in the draw for the cookbook. Thank you

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

I loved it! Would be there if I were near. Looks like lots of effort went into this...so interesting. I love to visit your sister's blog, too--but get her to write more!C

Mogsie said...

I do wish that we had that kind of thing out here ~ !

Unknown said...

I am so jealous! i would love to go somewhere like that. What a great place to learn about history and experience a bit of what our pioneers went through. And apple butter? I never tasted it but is sounds scrumptious!

-Eve

Anonymous said...

What an incredible field trip! I would have been there all day looking at everything!

Millicent said...

Wish we had festivals like this in Texas - no such luck.

Liz in PA said...

Suzanne~ Thank you for another very enjoyable and informative field trip!
I always learn so much and feel as if I am actually walking beside you as "WE" tour each venue!

....Wow.....that was a truly magnificent caldron w/copper liner over the cookfire.
My husband's great great grandmother lost her life in the early 20th century while cooking apple butter in such a kettle over an open fire....she caught her long gown on fire, so the newspaper article said. Tragic.

Please enter my name in the drawing for the Wonderful Cookbook!

Heidi said...

OH!! I am jumping up and down waiving my arms to be entered!!!
What a great little day trip - I LOVE things like this!

Thank you for the WONDERFUL email.. I am planning/executing my response.. :) be prepared!! lol

Jackie said...

The apple butter and vegetable stew looked wonderful, as did the your sister's array of garden crops and tools. I would so love to have some of those gourds. The Pioneer Festival seems to be true to its purpose and not a commercialized event...how refreshing!

BS HONEY said...

I have so enjoyed visiting the Pioneer Fest with you. Our daughter and family live in Natchez, MS. and they attend many festivals. Actually Natchez is soon to have a civil war re-enactment. I'm hoping my husband and I can attend this.
Our older married son is so into anything to do with our Native Indian and pioneer culture. He reads everything that he can get his hands on. I know that he would really enjoy the cookbook and would try most all of the recipes. So, thank you for the opportunity to try and win this cookbook for him.
Have a great week.

sandalwoodtrail@cableone.net

Steph said...

That looks like a lot of fun!

Anonymous said...

As always, beautiful photos and a great adventure. Thanks for inviting us along.

George Gaston said...

Thanks for this great trip to the Pioneer Fest. I would love to venture back in time and see how people lived. Today, we take so much for granted with all our modern convenient appliances, that we tend to forget the basic steps of how to make something. Great Post!

Anonymous said...

I think it does, but it gets all distorted underwater.